Crossing the Divide

Kesh, or uncut hair, is of special importance in the Sikh religion. It is one of the “five Ks”—traditional items that serve as symbols of faith and identity. As a thirty-five-year-old practicing Sikh, Jeet Bindra had never cut his hair or gone in public without a dastaar, or turban. But as rising star at the Chevron Corporation, when he was offered a major promotion that would require him, for safety reasons, to cut his hair and shave his beard, he faced one of the biggest dilemmas of his life: Should he keep his hair and potentially stall his career, or should he take a leap of faith and cut it, opening up a new range of possibilities?

Crossing the Divide is Bindra’s personal account of his journey from humble beginnings as rebellious boy in India who hated school, to graduate student at the University of Washington where he met the love of his life, to his climb up the corporate ladder to become the president of global manufacturing at Chevron. Along the way, he was a tireless advocate for inclusion and diversity, as well as a corporate innovator who helped turn underperforming organizations into industry leaders. This book provides key principles for success, giving practical advice on everything from being an effective manager and developing negotiating skills to turning adversity into advantage, all while offering important insights from Bindra’s remarkable life and career.